Madison Keys and Husband-Coach Bjorn Fratangelo Forge Unique Tennis Partnership

MELBOURNE, Australia — For Madison Keys, the road to tennis success has been paved with resilience, reinvention, and an unconventional partnership. The World No. 14, who recently claimed her second Adelaide International title, is coached by her husband, Bjorn Fratangelo, creating a dynamic that blends personal and professional life in a way few athletes experience.

Keys, 29, and Fratangelo, 30, first met in 2006 while training in Boca Raton, Florida. Their relationship evolved from friendship to romance, culminating in a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina, on November 23, 2024. Fratangelo took on the role of Keys’ coach after her early exit at Roland Garros in 2023, and their collaboration has since yielded impressive results, including a semifinal run at the 2023 US Open.

“The best part [of being coached by her husband] is that we actually get to see each other,” Keys told Grand Slam Daily. “When we started dating, he was also playing, and we were not on the same schedule, so we would not spend a whole lot of time together. So it’s great that we actually get to spend time together.”

Their partnership has not been without its challenges. Keys joked about the difficulty of admitting when Fratangelo is right. “The not-so-great part is having to tell him that he was right a lot of the time, not super fun,” she said with a laugh.

Keys’ 2024 season was marred by injuries, including a shoulder issue that forced her to miss the Australian Open and a hamstring injury that led to her withdrawal from Wimbledon. Determined to bounce back, she worked with Fratangelo to overhaul her serve and technique. “My body slowly started to fall apart a little bit with [my old serve], so that was kind of the final nail in the coffin where I had to actually make a change,” she explained.

The adjustments paid off. Keys’ victory in Adelaide, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in a three-set thriller (6-3, 4-6, 6-1), marked a triumphant return to form. At the Australian Open, she has continued her strong performance, advancing to the third round with a hard-fought win over Elena-Gabriela Ruse (7-6, 2-6, 7-5).

As Keys prepares for her next match, she remains focused on the future. With Fratangelo by her side, both on and off the court, she is poised to build on her previous semifinal appearances at the Australian Open in 2015 and 2022. Their unique partnership, rooted in mutual support and shared goals, continues to be a driving force in her career.